


The Prequel

by InnerGlow11



Series: Ratchet & Clank: The Novelizations [1]
Category: Ratchet & Clank
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-26 11:21:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20741381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InnerGlow11/pseuds/InnerGlow11
Summary: In which we see a young Ratchet becoming who he is in the first game.Alternative Title; Ratchet Growing Up





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I adore these games. They mean so much to me. I grew up with them and have so many great memories with them and I can't imagine not knowing them. So when I finally actually thought of going and searching for RaC fanfics I was so excited to see what was out there. It was a great series, so I should find some great fanfics, right? I was surprised to find that the games weren't actually all that well known. Or at least as popular as I thought they should be. And so there weren't that many great fics to find. Needless to say, I was a bit sad. And a lot of times when I do find good fics, they're discontinued. So, I'm making you a promise here and now; I never abandon a fic. I've posted plenty of fics in the past and then lost my drive to write them for a while, but I'll never truly abandon them. No matter how long it takes me to get back to it, I'll always get back to it. It's just that sometimes, it's only after I've posted a fic that I realize how childish they were and then decide that I need to go back and do them better. But I always push that to someday. But this one, I feel will be different. Because this is a series where I turn the games into stories on here for people to read, no matter if they're long time fans or new and this is where they're first learning the games, this should, if I write it well, be a good read for both audiences. Because I don't want this great game series to die out. And ever since I read What Makes a Hero by Selphie Kinneas 175 on FF I've loved novelizations. Now I always try and find them to see if anyone else has done something spectacular like she has. And some actually have. But for most fandoms, there is nothing there. And I got to thinking about it with this one. I thought it'd be great if someone made fics to introduce new people to this wonderful series of games and still be entertaining for longtime fans like myself, when it struck me. Instead of waiting for someone to do it when it probably wasn't going to happen, why didn't I do it? So I decided to get off my lazy butt and start writing this. Now, I know this isn't the game yet, but I wanted to write this to try and explain something for how he is the way he is in the beginning of the game and to get into his mindset at that time. And I haven't found any other fics that cover that time period, unless they're AUs, so I thought this would be entertaining for people to read. So, i hope you enjoy, and if my writing sucks, I'm sorry, but I am trying to improve and one of the only ways to improve is to actually write, so I'll hopefully improve as this series goes. Hope you enjoy. (Cross posted on Fanfiction.)
> 
> Also, something I'd like to ask. What kind of hands do you think Ratchet should have? Because it'll also affect the way he acts. There are some who are fans of the cat hands and some who are fans of the human hands. I've never really cared one way or the other, so I thought I'd just go with what the majority wants. Here's a poll where you can vote. http://poal.me/9mzz8h
> 
> Song listened to while writing this: Anything to Get to You https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZOZiX_C6BY (From Sherwood show. It was very cheesy and I could only watch 2 episodes before I had to stop, but the soundtrack was amazing so I still like listening to the music.)
> 
> (A little side note for those of you interested in What Makes a Hero. Here's the link. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6325702/1/What-Makes-a-Hero It's a Zelda: Twilight Princess fic about the games but making them a bit more realistic, which is what I'm hoping to achieve here, with this series. But I loved that game before and this fic made me love it even more. It really blows your socks off so if you're a fan of Zelda I think you'll enjoy this.)

It was a dry day. The wind howled. The sun shone. Everything was hot. Something shone in the shadow of a rock. That shouldn’t be there. He’d passed this way so many times on his patrols that he would probably notice if there was even a chip taken from one of the pebbles in the area. And this, was certainly bigger than that. As he got closer, the shiny thing turned into an escape pod. All the way out here? What was it even doing here? He hadn’t heard of any recent battles nearby. As he approached, he thought he heard a noise. It almost sounded like… crying? Racing over, he popped open the door, releasing more crying sounds (as that was definitely what it was), and looked in to see nothing but a little bundle of blankets. Curious and concerned, he got close and looked over to see that it was a tiny furry baby. He had no idea what species it was, but that didn’t matter. It looked like his parents had sent him off to keep him safe, since it was alone in the pod, and it seemed like it needed care, so he would need to get it that care. Grabbing the baby, he quickly headed towards town. Sanlf would take care of the little one, he was sure.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

“You’re it!”

A hand touched his shoulder and shoved, making him fall flat on his face. There was laughter and the sound of feet scrambling away. He sat up and huffed. On one hand, they were including him in the game and he liked playing tag. But on the other hand, one of them had pushed him and they were the same ones laughing. Yet as he looked up and saw Asoih smiling at him and ready to run, he sighed and smiled, deciding to just go with it. Running after them, he quickly tagged someone and ran to the rock. Nuif was already up there and, of course, making sure that no one else could join him in relative saftey even though there was definitely enough space up there. Glancing over at the kids that were screaming, he noted that they were on the other side of the play area. That meant that he had at least a little bit of time before they came over and he had the potential to be it again. Scrambling up the rock, he nearly fell off when Nuif’s foot tried to come into contact with him. Instead, he grabbed the foot and nearly pulled the bully off too.

“Ratchet!” he shrieked, “Get off!”

A grin, followed by an, “Alright.”

He let go of Nuif’s foot and climbed up the rest of the rock, sitting comfortably and proudly at the top. The bully growled and climbed up next to him, only to proceed to try and push him off. Instead, Ratchet leaned out of the way and decided that he’d had enough, so he pushed back, though his push didn’t miss. And it sent the other sliding right off the rock with a scream and a curse sent his way. Laughing as Nuif slid down, he laughed even harder when someone came up behind him and tagged him just as he hit the ground. The fury on Nuif’s face was priceless.

“_Ratchet!_” he screamed, then stormed up the rock as fast as he could go. Grinning, Ratchet slid down just as the other reached the top and he took off as fast as he could go. He wasn’t letting Nuif catch him if he could help it. There were more screams from the bully but he didn’t hear them as he focused on just getting away. Weaving between the other kids, he looks back and snickers at what he sees. Nuif had stumbled over one of the other kid’s tail and fallen. Oh, this was so good. And then the fun was ruined when he suddenly felt hands holding tight to his arms. His head whipped around to see some of the other bullies. They held him fast as Nuif and a few others came up to him, the former brushing himself off and looking disgruntled. A smirk crept onto his face. At least he’d gotten back at one of them.

“What’s that smile for, fur ball? You think something’s funny?” one of the other bullies, Miod, asked. A snort, as he replied, “Yeah, all you guys thinking you can take me on even with me restrained.”

Of course, they laugh at him. They always do. But he’s tired of just sitting there and doing nothing once they catch him like this. This time, he’s going all out. As they approach him and get close, his foot flies forwards and gets them right in the nose. The others shout and come rushing forwards. He ducks under a punch then brings his head back up, effectively headbutting their elbow. They cried out in pain and the ones beside him loosen their grips a bit as they yell in concern. He takes this opportunity to yank the arm being held by the smaller, weaker one towards him and thus pulls the bully within range of a bite. He also screams and lets go, giving Ratchet the chance to jump out of the way of another punch and onto the last one holding him. He headbutts this one in the face, causing him to cry out in pain and let go, and he’s now free. Turning to the other bullies, he gets in one good punch before he hears an adult voice calling, “Ratchet!”

They all stop and look towards the orphanage. It’s Sanlf. And she doesn’t look happy whatsoever. Ratchet sighs. Sometimes he thinks they named him after their least favorite thing, instead of after how his race was known for being handy with tools. After all, they love to yell his name angrily. When he meets her eyes, she looks stern and points to her feet. He casts one last glare back at the bullies, which is returned by them all, before he obediently heads over and looks at the ground sheepishly. He can practically feel her gaze on him as she says, “Well, I can see you know what you’ve done wrong. I’ve told you no fighting before and yet you can’t seem to help yourself. I bet your species is also vicious, if you’re anything to go by. Now get going. You have some chores to do as punishment.”

Of course she had to make a jab at lombaxes like that. He opened his mouth to protest when she interjected, “You know which one.”

And that was the end of it. Sulkily going in to do as he was told, he looked back real quick as he heard laughter. He turned to see the bullies laughing, though Sanlf was glaring at them next, so maybe they wouldn’t go unpunished this time. Getting a small smile at that thought, he heads inside to do chores. _Ugh._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it. The first chapter. Yay! I know it's kinda short but I've got set things I want to explore in each chapter so it's only going to cover those things, which means I have no idea how long each chapter is going to be. Besides, this is just the start. I got a lot more planned. So, I'll see you guys soon with the next chapter. Glow bright!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song listened to while writing this chapter: Can We Pretend by P!nk (it's really catchy~ btw a lot of these songs remind me of their great friendship later in the games rather than how things are now.)

“We need some things. Who wants to go get them?” Sanlf hardly has any time to get the words out before a furry body jumps up and says, “Me!”

She chuckles as everyone else lets out groans and she points to Ratchet, saying, “Then come here and get the list so you can get going.”

Scrambling out of his seat, he dashed over to her and barely paused long enough to grab the list before he was rushing out the door and to the hoverbike. He reached over to the ignition, only to find the keys there. Looking back at the orphanage, he sees Sanlf smugly standing there, holding the keys up like a prize. He looks down sheepishly and she laughs, “Don’t be in such a hurry that you forget something this important.”

He couldn’t help it. He’s just recently gotten old enough to drive it and he’d been taking every opportunity he could to learn how to drive it so she’s let him go. And now he finally could. Why wouldn’t he be excited? She tossed the keys to him, as well as the wallet he’d also managed to forget, and he snatched them, giving a quick thanks to her before starting it up and taking off. Oh man, was it great driving. The wind in his fur, the purr of the engine under him, it was so nice. Unfortunately, he wasn’t going very far so he didn’t have long to revel in it before he had to stop and hop off in front of the store. He sighed. While he loved that he was able to drive the bike when going to get things, he hated the shopping part. Going into the shop, he looked to the list then picked up some flour and sugar and other cooking stuff that he assumed was to be for their meals. While he knew it was a good thing to go get things like this, it didn’t mean he liked to do it. He’s much prefer to be on the hoverbike outside than doing mundane stuff like this. Going up to the register, he put down his items and the cashier looked up. There it was. The look. The one that said it was still another sentient creature like them, but was different enough to gain some distaste. If he’d been born with scales or skin instead of fur then he would probably not get those looks, since no one else on the planet seemed to have fur and that was what seemed to set him apart the most. But that just wasn’t his luck. He was asked for payment in the usual bored tone that suggested if he didn’t get this over with quickly they weren’t going to help him, so he swiftly put the right amount on the counter and gathered everything in a bag to take out to the hoverbike. Piling it on, he sighed in satisfaction as the engine turned on. He didn’t know why it was so satisfying, but ever since he was really little he’d liked anything electronic. It was probably because of the rumors that the lombaxes were good with tools but he liked to think it was just because he liked that sort of thing. After all, what’s the fun in sharing something like that with your whole species? Turning the hoverbike, he sped away to his next destination.

It continued on like this for a while until he reached the end of the list. He only had two things left to get. And one of them was at his favorite shop, the only one he actually liked to visit. Deciding to head there next, his now heavy hoverbike puttered towards the best shop ever; the parts shop. Turning off the engine, he just sat there for a bit, taking it in. There was always all this stuff to the sides of the shop that someone could buy, though they never had close to enough money to get any of it. But it gave it this nice feel. And when he breathed in, there was the smell of oil and metal. Hopping off and going in, he looked around a bit before trying to find the part they needed to fix the air conditioning. Though it always broke down and they never had enough to get good enough parts that wouldn’t almost instantly break so he didn’t really see why they kept on trying. But it gave him an excuse to come here, so he didn’t mind that. His thoughts came to a halt as his eyes caught on something. Wait a minute, was that really what he thought it was? Looking at it more closely, he brushed his hand over it to try cleaning off some of the dust. It felt old and frail, but that wouldn’t lower it’s value if that’s really what he thought it was.

“You here to buy it?”

Ratchet nearly jumped out of his skin as he spun around and saw the shopkeeper. The Veldinite huffed humorously at him as he tried to compose himself. Shaking his head, Ratchet said, “No, I was just looking at it. ...Is it really a hoverboard?”

“Yep. It’s old and not in very good condition, but it is. You know what model?”

“...I think they just called it a Hoverboard back then. After all, it was the first model, right?”

“Seems like you know at least some stuff kid. Yep, that there is one of the originals. I tried selling it at a high price but the guy I won it from didn’t keep it in very good condition, so no collectors want it. Now it’s just here to be used as scraps. I doubt it’d ever run now, so I don’t think you actually want it kid. Unless you’d just have it for decorations?”

“No, I have no need for it and I don’t have the money for it. I was just admiring it. Not everyday you see something like that, after all.”

“That’s for sure.”

Their conversation continued on like that for a long time and when Ratchet finally looked up he was surprised to see that the sun had made it farther across the horizon than he had realized. It was definitely time to go. And yet he was still reluctant to leave. He enjoyed talking to this guy and there weren’t many people here that just talked to him normally. Going to say goodbye, the shopowner stopped him short by asking, “Were you here to actually buy something?”

Oh, shoot. How could he have forgotten? Dashing towards the table with the parts he needed, he shoved things out of the way until he’d found it, then ran over to the counter and put it on the counter. He looked up to see the shopkeep snickering at him, but he quickly composed himself and asked for the fee. Practically throwing the money to him, Ratchet grabbed the part and ran out the door, jumping onto the hoverbike and zooming back to the orphanage. He only slowed down when he came to his destination and was going to park it. Grabbing the items they’d needed, he went to go inside just as Sanlf was coming out. Stopping short, he stood tall and gave her a sheepish grin as she glared at him. “So, you finally make it home. I was beginning to wonder if you’d been eaten by something out there. Did you at least get everything I asked for?”

Nodding vigorously, hoping that will save him, he hands her the bags of stuff he’d gotten. She grabs them and immediately starts searching through them, her attitude improving with each item she finds. She almost has a relieved smile on her face before she pauses, then looks back up at him and asks, “Where’s the soap?”

He freezes. Pulls out the list. There, at the bottom, right under the part, is the soap. And the last thing he’d gotten was the part. He’d never made it to the last item. Gulping, he looks up at Sanlf’s expectant face and whispers, “I forgot it.”

She runs a hand down her face as the kids crowded around her start to whisper. They’re all background noise as she gives him a disappointed look and shakes her head, saying, “Then I suppose you can’t be trusted to go on errands for a while. You have let us down. We’ll all be smelling until we have more things in need of getting. Do you really want to smell like you’re from the streets?”

A shake of his head is all she needs before she continues, “Well we still have a little bit left. We’ll just have to make it last as long as possible. But for your punishment, you won’t be getting any of it.”

“Loser! Screw up!” some kids were able to shout before Sanlf whirled around to stop them. Even though she was scolding them, Ratchet knew they were right. He’d messed up and made things harder for them. And now they were sure to hate him. Spinning around he took off, just trying to get away. How could he have screwed up like that? That’d been such a stupid thing to do. He hadn’t actually planned to go anywhere in particular but his feet automatically took him to his spot. He only came back to himself when he heard the distinct croak of Horny Toads. Looking up, he saw some toads hopping around the area. Of course they’d come back. They never seemed to leave anywhere for long. These suckers were always everywhere and frankly, these pests were starting to get on everyone’s nerves. Including his. They made it hard to get anywhere! Growling, he picks up a rock and hurls it right between one of the toad’s eyes, immediately knocking it unconscious. A chorus of croaks follow as the other take notice, but they’re not able to start looking before another rock is thrown and they’re turning to investigate. Nasty creatures. You’d think they’d want to avoid others since they’re so weak, but they can be strong enough if they are in a group. And even one sneak attack can leave a nasty wound. He would know.

Quickly walking past as they go to look around, he nearly has a heartattack as the toad he’d knocked out starts to open it’s eyes. Crap, he was right next to it too. Hoping that he’ll get there before it’s fully aware, he forgets stealth and darts towards the rock face, his eyes focusing on his target as his ears twitch at the sound of them all noticing him and calling out an alarm. Pushing himself harder, the croaks are getting load as he jumps to the rock ledge and pulls him legs and tail up. He feels wind by his tail and glances down to see the group of toads just under him. He’d barely made it. Remembering that he’s still in range, he scrambles to get higher as they continue to try and get him before he’s too high and they give up. His fingers holding tightly to a ledge, he sighs in relief. Those things were scary.

And pretty good at distracting him, since he’d only now remembered why he’d come here in the first place. Time to try and forget again. Taking a breath to steady himself, he reaches up for the next handhold and continues to scale the rock face. Find a divot. Reach up to it. Pull up. It was that simple. Just keep going like that until you reach an area where you can actually stand. Then look for the best way to get up from there. It could be climbing again, or it could be jumping from one bigger area to the next. The rocky surface under his fingers is very familiar at this point. He’s certain there’s no one that could traverse it better. And it’s so great to let go of his worries and his wants and just climb. Nothing but him and the rock. Until he’s at the top and has noticed the wind and sunshine again. He can look down and see so much. His town. The dry scrubland area around it. All the plateaus and cliffs and giant boulders. He sits down to admire the view. Every time he looks down at all this he has mixed feelings. This place is his home. The heat has never bothered him, even though he’s furry instead of like the others, and the people in town are never outright mean to him. They just tend to not really care about him. But then there are still people like that shop owner he’d met today as well as his friend Asoih, they were some of the ones that were actually nice to him. And yet, there were still the people that hated him and were mean to him, like the bullies, and he hated them and was mean to them in return. And this world had never really done anything for him. Plus, what was there really to do here? This place was desolate and a planet on the outer reaches of the Solana galaxy. So really, he didn’t have a reason to hate the place, but he didn’t really wanna stay here for the rest of his life with all of this. He just wished that there was some way he could escape this fate and go explore, or at least have his own choice in what his future would be. But how could an orphan ever hope to be anything but one of the workers no one noticed? He yearned for something more, but knew that it would never come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so I've got a goal for each chapter. this whole fic is supposed to be explaining how he got to where he is in the beginning of the first game and for my to try and figure out where he is mentally, so that means that each one has a different thing it's helping with. the first chapter was how determined he could be and how he could have potentially learned how to defend himself. it was also there to say he's not a fan of bullies. because from what I've gathered from looking at the games and what it shows of his character, it seems like that's the case. so even though it's really cliche and kinda cheesy, I had him have bullies. and with him being so different than them I could actually see him getting bullied. that brings me to another thing. some of you might be wondering why I said the Veldinites were only scaly and skinned and not furry. that's because of the only time I've ever seen Veldinites besides in the 2016 game because it's given by an unreliable narrator (Qwark) and so is not canon. here's the picture. https://ratchetandclank.fandom.com/wiki/Veldin?file=Bar_kyzil.jpg they are all very different, but they do all have some similarities. so I assume that most people on Veldin have similar appearances. so that brings us to the point of this chapter. this one was to give him some experience with vehicles so that he wouldn't be totally inexperienced later, because he does not seem like he doesn't have any experience when he races. then him talking to the guy was to show that he was a bit of a fan of hoverboards so he has some knowledge of those as well as well was showing that the townspeople don't really hate him yet don't really like him either. they just don't really care one way or another. at least most of them are like that. then him running off and climbing was him having a bit more battle experience and him knowing how to platform. so, we're inching closer to where we need to be for the first game. and congrats on making it through this note. don't think many people will want to go all the way through it but you did and I hope you liked the little bit of info I gave for this. Glow bright!


End file.
